Before the devil knows you're dead
by TheLittle MissVixen
Summary: Set after 1x14; Grams didn't die but wasn't able to hold onto the spell for much time so now both Damon and Elena are stuck inside the tomb were Katherine was supposed to be. Will the time alone with Damon change something for Elena? Will she be able to see beyond the monster than he is and take a chance on him or go back to the safeness that is Stefan?
1. May bad love lose you at your best

Hello there, Happy 2018!

I have a couple of projects for this year and this one is the first; this idea was pitched to me by _**Imly,**_ who wanted to see this story developed and asked me to write it for her so I really hope I can do justice to what she had in mind.

I also want to thank **VitsAsh** who has agreed to help me out with the beta work.

And lastly, I'm naming this story after Delta Spirit's song "Devil knows you're dead" each chapter will be using some of the lyrics because I simply fell in love with it when I listened it on Friday Night Lights final episode.

And well I think that's enough ramble for today, let's see what you think of this.

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 **May good luck find you at your worst  
And bad love lose you at your best**

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"She is not here, she is not here!" Damon murmured frantically as his hand gripped the blood bag he was holding almost to the point of bursting. Only a few minutes ago he thought he was finally going to get what he wanted and now he was realizing that once again life was denying him the chance for true happiness.

The emotions inside him were too heightened to be healthy; disappointment and sadness were chocking him while rage and hatred made the blood in his body buzz uncontrollably. The veins around his eyes started to appear and his fangs elongated in response to the turmoil inside him, he was ready to snap at anyone and anything.

Then he felt it.

 _A delicate small hand against his forearm._

"Damon!" Her voice sounded small and frightened. A deep inhale allowed him to smell the fear on her blood; she was in a tomb full of hungry vampires after all, but it was her eyes what made his emotions stay in check and the veins around his eyes to retreat. "We need to go; they won't be able to hold on for long"

His eyes scanned around the empty tomb once again "She is not here" He whispered and felt her hand squeezing his forearm.

"It's not worth staying here forever" He nodded at her; his eyes still lost somewhere else as he followed her back. Damon couldn't explain it, perhaps it was like she had mentioned earlier and the understanding between them was stronger than he believed to be, but there was something in her that made him want to be different, be more than just a half man ruled by his emotions.

Unbeknownst to them, outside the tomb the powers of the two witches performing the spell had already ebbed away and the shield stopping vampires to leave had dropped; the stone cover had been place back in the entrance and due to some dammed twist of fate now, not even Elena could leave the place.

Stefan was lying on the floor where Bonnie and her grandmother had knocked him down when he tried to get inside and the young brunette didn't know how he was going to react when he woke up to find his girlfriend locked inside with his psychotic brother and at least forty hungry vampires.

"What is this?" Elena all but ran towards the giant stone covering the entrance, her hand making contact with the cold surface "Bonnie!" She shouted in frantic desperation.

"I don't think she can hear us" Damon's voice whispered behind her and Elena felt a pang of irritation at the sound, what was happening after all was his fault and his undesired obsession with the female vampire who had sired him.

"Do something!" She snapped at him and moved when he walked towards the entrance but the minute his hand made contact with the cold stone he flinched back and grunted in pain "What happened?"

"Bitch burned me" He muttered while he stared angrily at his hand.

Elena made a chocked up sound in the back of her throat and resumed her pounding against the stone "Bonnie!" She shouted once more and felt Damon gripping her by the elbow and pulling her back.

"Stop drawing attention to you Elena" He hissed

A confused frown appeared on her face "But what-"

"She will find the way to get you out of her, maybe not me but you can be sure she'll get you out" His voice was hard and unflinching but his eyes were warm and showed her a kind of softness she only saw when he stared at her. He was trying to comfort her, she realized, he just didn't know how to do it very well.

"What are we supposed to do here?" She nearly cried as she faced him, her hands moving to grip the leather of his jacket at his arms "Damon there's no food… there's a bunch of hungry vampires" She wanted to hide the fear in her voice but in all honesty she had never been more afraid than when she found herself face to face with Anna's mother and all those vampires.

He rolled his eyes, diminishing her concern over the matter "Desiccated vampires"

Elena clenched her jaw and nearly punched him for making such a dangerous situation into something light "So? They could come and get me to stop being diseccated!"

He almost laughed at her expression but his face softened after a few seconds "Don't panic, they can't move Elena unless some blood falls on them, they won't wake up" He released himself from the deathly grip she had on his jacket and pulled the blood bag he had brought for Katherine form inside his pocket "And you bet I don't intend to share"

Elena's anger ebbed away at the sight of what he intended to be his beloved's first meal, a sense of sadness so strong it surprised her took grip of her body as she regarded his face and imagined what he was probably feeling.

 _Every move that he's made, he's done for love._

 _It's twisted but kind of sad_

She had said those words not too long ago and now they came back to haunt her because despite all his mistakes and faults, she could see some goodness inside of him that perhaps even he himself couldn't see.

"Are you all right?" Her voice was soft and he had to look away from her to avoid the tidal wave of emotions that threatened to break lose inside him "Damon"

He sighed as he moved towards the wall and lowered himself into the ground "150 years I waited for the moment to release her from this hell… only to find out she wasn't here" His rose his knees in front of his face and he placed his elbows on top of them, his mind was lost somewhere in the ground as he allowed himself to remember all those nights he laid awake at night thinking about his reunion with Katherine "150 years"

"I'm sorry, Damon" Elena whispered as she went to sit next to him; she couldn't understand it, since his arrival to Mystic Falls Damon had done nothing but torment them, and yet she felt the need to comfort him, to make him hurt just a little bit less from what he was feeling at the moment.

"Perhaps, I deserve it!" He murmured absently

A frown appeared on her face as she looked at him "What do you mean?"

He let out a chuckle that held no humor "Don't be coy Elena we both know I wasn't made a saint by the pope" His face moved to look at her and she was startled by the intensity on his blue eyes "And now everyone gets a happy ending and I don't…"

Anger like she hadn't felt before invaded her as she thought about her look alike and what she had done to both brothers "If she's out there living her life while you died for her and believed her to be trapped here… then she's not worth it, Damon" She couldn't hide the bite in her voice and a beginning of a small smile appeared on his lips.

"But she's the only woman I've ever loved!" He breathed out, his eyes glistening with tears she knew he wouldn't allow himself to shed.

"I'm sorry"

"I really need a drink" He said with a sigh and a roll of his eyes, masking the weakness she had seen reflected in his eyes a few seconds ago "There's no way I can keep doing a heart to heart with you without some alcohol in my body"

Elena couldn't help that chuckle that left her lips at his answer and punched his shoulder in a playful manner "Jerk". He laughed in response and afterwards they remained in silence for a few seconds.

"What are we going to do Damon?"

"Wait… I guess" His head moved back until it rested on the stone behind him "Then, I'll get the hell away from this town" He said absently "Of course, if the little judgy witch decides that I'm worth being released"

A sense of dread she couldn't explain settled in her stomach at his words "You'll go away?" She asked "What about Stefan?"

Damon shrugged "What about him?"

Elena huffed indignantly "He's your brother"

"He'll be better off without me"

 _What about me?_ She wanted to ask but decided to stay quiet and not dwell too much on what it meant for her to be having those thoughts.

Damon exhaled loudly as he accommodated himself, his back pressed against the rock and his lean legs extended before him "Get comfortable Elena, we won't be leaving here tonight" His voice sounded playful and despite their precarious situation, she couldn't help but smile at him.

"Just what I needed" She said in fake irritation as she rested her head against his shoulder and tried not to think too much in why she enjoyed his scent around her.


	2. May your nights be long to rest

Hellooo!

Thank you so much guys for your response to this story, to be honest I'm a little nervous because besides 'Eternal Flame' this is my only cannon story, so I'm a little bit worried about not making the characters justice.

I really hope you're enjoying this story, I want to thank VitsAsh for being the beta to the story, I also want to let you know that this won't be a very long one, maybe ten chapters or so, I really hope you like what I do with this.

Love,

SAM

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 **May your days be rich and full of wealth**

 **And your nights be long when you need rest.**

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"Ready? One, two three!"

Damon raised his left leg in the air while Elena raised her right one and they met each other half way in the air; they were both lying on their backs, facing each other while they played a childish game of strength, Elena had convinced him to play.

"I would have thought you were stronger than this Damon" Elena joked as she pressed his leg down with hers.

Damon huffed "If I were using all my vampire strength your leg will be broken already" He said while releasing his leg from the clasp of hers "Besides you're clearly at advantage here, being a cheerleader and all" He said "You're bendy"

Elena couldn't see his face since they were both on their backs but just with the sound of his voice she was absolutely sure he was doing that eye thing that she found annoying yet compelling at the same time.

"Does our boredom really has come to this?" He asked as he dropped his leg into the floor while Elena giggled at having beaten him "I can't imagine what we'll be resorting to in the next couple of hours"

"You're just a sore loser" Elena said as she sat down and moved so she could lay next to him now "Do you think we're going to be here for a lot more time?" She asked.

It had been nearly a day since they were locked down; the battery of her phone had officially died an hour ago and she could feel her stomach sticking to her back, she was also thirsty and her hair was starting to get really grassy. She really wanted to be out of that place soon and it killed her not to know what was going on at the other side of that damn rock blocking their way out.

"Of course not, in the next five minutes super Stefan will burst through the opening flanked by his side kick wonder witch then you and me could finally do something about the nasty aspect we're both sporting at the moment"

Elena laughed despite herself, if there was something she could always count on was Damon lightening the situation and making her laugh; sometimes it infuriated her for she felt he didn't take things seriously but there were other times like right now where she only wanted to forget the true danger of the situation she was currently in.

"Damon…" She whispered.

His head turned to the side to stare at her "Yeah?"

Elena grimaced "I really need to pee again"

He snickered "Go then woman, another trip to the land of humiliation where you would never be able to get out" She elbowed him before standing up and heading into one of the furthest corners of the cave, far enough for him not to hear or see her but not enough to be in danger "Remember to stay away from hungry vampires!" He shouted as he heard her feet walking away.

He remained lying on the floor, his eyes trained on the dusty rock above him. How many nights did he spend thinking about the horrors Katherine had to endure in this place? How many time he wondered if she ever thought of him. How much time he wasted on a woman who never knew anything else but to take?

And truly, how foolish he had been to think she was different. She had always been a selfish little brat, but he chose to oversee those flaws because he loved her. He loved her but she never loved him back, wasn't that sad?

The sound of footsteps approaching made him snap of his reverie just in time to hear the grumbles of the angry teenage girl coming his way "I swear to God I will never be able to leave down all the horrors and humiliations of this place" She huffed as she once again draped her body on the floor next to his.

"What's wrong?" She asked him.

"Huh?"

"I cannot see your face very well but I can sense the waves of depression rolling off you" She told him.

Damon grumbled "You will know, having Jeremy as a brother"

Elena elbowed him once again "Jerk" They remained in silence for a few seconds, she could feel her eye lids growing heavy which was strange since she had spent a lot of time sleeping lately for a lack of better things to do.

"I was just thinking about all the havoc I caused because of her" His thick voice resonated in the whole cave; a whisper full of regret and self loathe.

Elena felt her heart growing heavy at the sound of his voice, many nights she had spent wondering what was about Damon that made her so easy to forget all of his faults, to this day he had done nothing but create chaos around them and yet she was eager to forgive him, eager to see the part of him that she knew existed beneath the monster.

What was about him that made him different? ' _You and I we have something'_ she hadn't been lying when she spoke those words to him, because no matter how hard she tried to stay away Damon was always finding the way to seep into her.

"If it wasn't for her and my wish to find her I would have ended up with my life a long time ago" Oblivious to her inner turmoil he whispered words he hadn't spoken to anyone before "But I didn't, I kept going because of her, because my love for her kept giving me strength and in the end I ended up wasting most of my life…now I wonder if I truly even loved her or I was just searching for something else" Elena remained quiet not truly knowing what she should tell him, her head had craned to the side and she was now staring into his somber profile "Is that… is that how you feel about Stefan?"

"What?" She whispered.

"How do you know what you feel for him is true love?" He asked, his eyes remained fixated on the stone above him and for once she wished for him to look at her.

She took a deep breath, trying to find the words to express what she felt for the youngest Salvatore brother "Stefan woke me up, Damon… after my parents death, I was numb, just going through the motions but when he arrived I was able to breathe again" She sighed "He makes me feel glad to be alive"

Damon nodded; his heart aching without him truly knowing why "Good, I'm glad he makes you feel that way" That was his only response, Elena half hoped for him to make fun of her feelings but she should have known better than to expect that, because for some reason she was the only person with whom Damon stopped pretending to be invulnerable.

"And don't you think you've wasted your life Damon" She said, trying to cheer him up because there was something deeply unsettling about seeing Damon in pain "I'm sure that you've had quite good times… that don't involve blood and murder that is" She added.

He chuckled "Nah, I don't think so"

Elena rolled her eyes before pushing at his shoulders playfully "Come on, tell me one of your stories. Stefan said he once went to an entire weekend party with Bon Jovi; let's see if you can topple that"

Damon huffed "Pff please, Jon Bon Jovi might be cool but I dear Elena once played the guitar with Johnny Cash" His head was now turned in her direction, their faces were inches apart and she had no idea why she didn't feel the need to put distance between them.

"No way!" She said excitedly "Which songs? What else did you do?"

Damon released a long content sigh, in the darkness of the cave she could see his baby blues shinning with the memory of happy times "We partied for an entire night, it was in his prior June Carter days and let me tell you that man could drink you under a table"

Elena laughed "But you were a vampire!"

"I'm not totally convinced he wasn't one" He said as his lips quirked into a smirk and he winked at her "We played a couple of Dylan's songs and two of my favorite's Folsom prison Blues and I walk the Line"

"Ugh I'm so jealous right now" She grumbled "My favorites are Ring of Fire and Ballad of a Teenage Queen"

He snorted "You would like that one"

She laughed and punched his shoulder once again "So, then you stole his image"

"What?"

She gestured towards his dark jeans and black button down "The man in black, you got your style from Cash?"

He threw his head back and laughed, a deep rich sound that made Elena's lips widen in response "Yeah, I suppose I did" He answered, his eyes crinkling at the corners, giving an air of such innocence Elena hadn't seen in him before.

"You see, it wasn't all that bad. You got to meet Johnny Cash"

Damon looked at her while secretly wondering what kind of strange creature was she. If he didn't know any better than to believe in such things he would have sworn she was angel, because there was no way a normal human could be so forgiving and understanding.

"Yeah, I guess you're right"

They remained in silence after that, he continued staring at the stone atop of him as he heard her breathing even out and knew she had fallen asleep again. Only when he was sure she wasn't going to wake up he sat up and moved away from her in order to retrieve the remains of the blood bag he had brought for Katherine.

He pulled a corner of it into his mouth and took two long sips, he had already gone through almost half of it and he could feel it wasn't nearly enough. He wanted to keep himself strong in case something happened with the dissected vampires and he was forced to defend Elena; he was also wondering how much longer Stefan was going to take in pulling them out and why hadn't he arrived yet.

He was going to be out of food soon and Elena would be the only living body with warm blood in that place; he could smell her, the scent of her lifeline made his mouth water and the veins around his eyes to grow, he was getting restless and the last thing he wanted was to hurt her; on top of all of that he could hear her stomach rumbling, she was hungry and thirsty and he had no idea how much longer she was able to hold on.

With a sigh Damon slumped against the wall behind him; he had never felt more issueless than in that moment, he was stuck in a cave with nothing he could do to get out while his brother was out there trying to find a way to fix his mess.

The story of his life.

He had screw up things once again but as his eyes fell on the sleeping form of Elena Gilbert he swore to do anything to protect her, he might not be a hero as his brother but he sure as hell was going to protect that girl with his life.

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Stefan paced back and forth in front of the couch where Bonnie sat with the Grimore opened on top of her legs "There must be something in here we can use" He grunted as he ran his hands through his already disheveled hair.

Bonnie sighed sadly while she rummaged through the pages of the Grimore one more time "I've been searching all night Stefan, that spell is the only one"

Stefan's eyes flared as he crashed his fist against the wall opposite from him "Damn it!"

"You need to relax Mr. Salvatore" The voice of Sheila Bennet said as she walked into the living room. A big fluffy sweater framed her frail body while tired lines marred her always serene face.

Stefan felt a stab of guilt at seeing the condition of the older woman but it was quickly replaced with despair when he thought about the girl he loved being in danger "How can I relax when the girl I love is locked inside a cave full of hungry vampires with my psychotic brother!"

"I don't think Damon would allow something to happen to her" Bonnie said softly from where she was resting on the couch.

Stefan's stony green eyes went to her "I wouldn't be that sure Bonnie; you don't know what he's capable of"

The young girl's brow furrowed "I think I do know Stefan" She said in a low voice; the other man's seemed to lose composure but he was quickly recovered when Sheila spoke her next words

"I might not be strong enough to open that tomb again Mrs. Salvatore but do not fret, I already have help on the way" She had moved until she was standing right in front of them near the couch, her body looked frail but there was a determination on her face that the old vampire had only seen on Bennet women.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

Sheila's chin lifted in a way that made her look so grand "I mean that tomb will be open by tomorrow and I know our Elena is strong enough to resist"

Stefan's heart brimmed with hope and he prayed to whoever was out there that the old witch was right because he didn't know what would happen if Elena was to remain more time in that place with Damon.

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 **Leave me a review?**


	3. May it be so forever more

Hey there!

Just a quick message to say thank you to all of your for reading and taking the time to leave a review and also to VitsAsh for being super amazing and working as a beta with me.

Enjoy!

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" **May the grass below be green and the sky above be blue. May it be so forever more"**

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She was slumped against the cold and rugged stone; she had tossed her leather jacket aside earlier in a heat fit and now the thin material of her blouse did nothing to calm the shivers that started wrecking her body. Elena had no idea how long she and Damon had been inside this tomb but with every second that passed, her hopes of being rescued seemed to whiter. She was starving, her stomach ached with the need for food and her throat was dry as it could be; she wondered how much of this she was going to be able to endure.

"Come here" Damon called from across, he could be so quiet some times that it was hard for her to remember he was in there with her "Elena… get over here"

Elena sighed and crawled across the floor to him, her body didn't have enough energy to stand up anymore, especially when she was only moving a few centimeters to where he was.

"Drink" He told her and that cool calmed voice he didn't use too often "You need to drink"

Elena shook her head "I can't"

They had been having that argument over the last hours; Damon knew she was starving and not truly knowing how long they were to remain there he knew it was important for her to keep her strength and there was no other thing she could eat in that place, even though it didn't work the same as food his blood would give her enough sustenance to keep going for a while.

"Can you stop being stubborn for one second?" He snapped and gripped her by the shoulders until her body was straddling his.

Elena panicked, hands going to his shoulders to push him away "What are you doing?"

Damon sighed as his arms went around her back, hard as steel and making impossible for her to pull away "Elena, I'm not trying to trick you in any way here, I just want you to feel better and I promise you that my blood will help you out"

Elena dropped her shoulders in defeat, in another moment she probably would have had more fight in here but she was cold, hungry, thirsty and everything in her ached plus she was in desperate need of a shower and a pillow so she truly didn't feel like fighting him on like she was accustomed to "Damon, it's gross" She said instead.

He chuckled "I'm sure you've done worse"

Elena pushed at his shoulders as she laughed "Jerk"

"Come on Elena, it won't be a big deal" He lifted the sleeve of his shirt and pierced his skin with his own fangs before raising his wrist in direction of her mouth.

Elena scrunched her nose as she contemplated how angry Stefan was going to be after finding out she drank blood from Damon _willingly_. She didn't want to do it. She could still remember how awful it had tasted when he had forced her to drink it just days ago but she was dying on hunger and tiredness and knew for a fact that vampire blood was restoring in so many ways so instead of dwelling too much on it she bit into his wrist and let the liquid flow into her mouth.

A moan left her lips at the first taste of it; it wasn't like the last time when he forced her to do this, this time his blood was rich and warm, it slipped inside her throat like silk and warmed her empty stomach, it was tangy and sweet at the same time and not knowing how she found herself snuggling into his body. She could feel every ridge of his frame below her and she moved closer to it, she was vaguely aware of his other hand gripped her by the waist and her lower body gridding against him in a way which was far away of being proper.

She was in some sort of trance; ecstasy filled her senses as she forgot all about her hunger or being trapped in a tomb filled with dead creatures, nothing else existed in that moment but her and the man holding her, nothing.

When Damon pulled away she chased after his wrist like a toddler searching his bottle, at the distance she heard his low chuckle and felt his hands caressing her hair softly. She let the feeling of tranquility wash over her and released her body into his; he held her above him, his chest forming a perfect cushion for her head and slowly and without knowing how she found herself succumbing to the land of dreams.

She was out of it for a while, she sensed it but when she opened her eyes she didn't find the dark and musty cave, no, she was somewhere else. Rows and rows of pink, purple and yellow tulips stretched before her, the sun was shining high in the sky and the breeze caressed her face and moved her hair around.

"Beautiful isn't?" The deep and rich voice of Damon said behind her and Elena turned around startled to stare into his bright blue eyes.

"Damon? What is going on?" She asked as she took notice of his clean clothes and realized she wasn't wearing the sweaty dusty clothes she had on the tomb either.

He shrugged as he crossed his arms above his chest "Well, honestly I was getting tired of such a lame landscape" His lips curved in that telltale smirk that characterized him and Elena couldn't help but smile in return.

"How are you able to do this?" She asked as her eyes drifted around her, taking in every flower and bird, everything that was beautiful and in complete contrast with the reality she had been living lately "Is this real?"

His eyes softened as they looked at her "As real as you want it to be Elena" Damon leaned down until his face has inches away from her "We're in your head"

Elena's eyes moved to his lips in a movement that was too fast to be perceived "This is wonderful" She whispered as she tore her gaze away from him and turned around to admire the landscape before her, a windmill located on a small mount at the distance catching her attention "Can we go up?"

"Sure" He said before they started walking in the direction where she had pointed. They fell into step easily, they didn't utter a word as they walked and Elena found herself wondering why it was so easy for her to be around Damon, he had a way with her, something that made her be completely at ease around him, they could be talking or not saying a word and she would still be completely comfortable with him.

They reached the small mount and let themselves fall in the grass, their gazes fixed in the green land and colorful flowers stretched before them "This is amazing Damon" She whispered, completely enamored with her surroundings "Why here?"

He smirked "Well, I didn't wanted to be cliché and transport us to the Eiffel tower"

Elena snorted as she rolled her eyes "Sure because that would have been terrible" Damon chuckled and they remained in silence for a few minutes more. Elena raised her knees to her chest and dropped her head on top of them, eyes looking straight at him "Did you know that I've always wanted to visit the tulips fields in Holland?"

He seemed taken a back with her comment "I didn't" He said softly after he took a minute to compose himself "But now you have…technically"

"Yeah, I guess" Elena said smiling softly, she wondered if she was the only one who got to see this side of Damon, the one who wasn't a psychotic murderer wanting to create havoc in the world. "So what's your favorite place in the whole world?" She asked after a while.

"Excuse me?"

"Well I assume you've travelled around in your… what is 500 years of life?" Damon looked offended for a second before bumping her converse clad feet with his own.

"Funny" He said as she laughed "I'm not that senile"

Elena stretched her legs in front of her as she let her torso fall in the grass behind her "Come on Salvatore, favorite place" She asked as she stared into the sky and watched him lay on the grass next to her from the corner of her eye

"That would be Italy" He said after a deep breath and looked at her questioningly when he saw the expression on her face "What?"

"How cliché" Elena said with a roll of her eyes and a smirk "The Salvatore loves Italy"

Damon chuckled "You're funny you know that"

Elena laughed quietly "Which part of Italy?"

He sighed, seeming to think about it for a second before answering "Cinqueterre" He told her as his eyes were lost in the sky above them "You've heard of it?"

"Nope" Elena said wish a shake of her head; she was completely mesmerized by how the sun light reflected on his handsome profile "Tell me about it" She whispered.

"They're five small towns gently carving a good life out of a very difficult terrain. They're isolated and you can do all sorts of things like climbing, hiking, swimming" The corner of his lips stretched into a small smile "My favorite one is Vernazza… the air is cool and refreshing, traffic free and it gives the most beautiful spectacle as the morning sun rises to touch the bell tower"

"It does sound beautiful"

"It is" He said with a smile, his face turning to the side to stare at her "At night the Mediterranean is darker than the sky and there's nothing better than strolling the shore while sipping on Sciacchetrà or a sette veli gelato"

A strange feeling roamed the entirety of her body at the sound of his voice "What kind is that?" She asked with true curiosity.

"The gelato?" He asked and smiled as she nodded "It's a mix of different kinds of chocolates, hazelnuts and tiny biscuits. The flavor is entirely rich and still remains as the best thing I've ever tasted"

Elena felt her taste buds watering at his description "I think I can just picture the flavor in my mind" Elena answered "I'll have to try it sometime"

His blue eyes twinkled at her "Once we're out here, I'll get you one" Elena felt her heart warm at his words and a strange need to reach out to him overwhelmed her but she managed to restrain herself "As I was saying, Vernazza is my favorite… my house there is the place I will always return to"

Elena's eye brows rose in surprise "You have a house there?"

"The only property beside the mansion I own" He rolled his eyes "Though technically that's Stefan and mines"

Elena chuckled as she moved to lie on her side, her hand tucked behind her face "I imagine it must be beautiful"

Damon nodded as he turned to imitate her position "Yep, I think that might be the first place I'll go after we go out of this damn tomb!"

"What?" Elena asked as she felt her blood running cold "You weren't being serious, about leaving, right?" There was a slight tremble in her voice as she spoke.

"Of course I was Elena, there's no point in me being here anymore"

Elena sighed "But Damon… Stefan needs you"

"Does he? I don't think so Elena… trust me it's better this way" His eyes had suddenly turned hard and dark once again, there were no more stars dancing in them and Elena felt sadness wash over her "Come on, don't ruin the moment with silly questions" He said, trying to hide his uneasiness with his usual charm.

"Fine" She agreed reluctantly. Her eyes closed and she breathed in the fresh air "I like being here, I don't even feel the hunger anymore" Her lips stretched into a smile and Damon felt a strange ache in his chest while watching the peaceful expression on her face.

"Well, that's a good thing" He murmured

Elena moved slightly closer to him; eyes still closed and bodies near touching "Yes it is, I can just be here and enjoy the sun"

"Sure you can" He answered in a hoarse voice "It's beautiful in here" His voice whispered but his eyes were not staring at the clear sky or beautiful tulips, his blue eyes were trained only on the girl lying beside him.

Back in the tomb Damon held Elena's sleeping body closer to his chest; sweat marred his body as a greyish hue started to color his form. He could feel the power and energy draining from him but he did not have the heart to stop the dream and make her back to reality just yet, so he kept pushing his luck hoping Stefan would find a way in before his blood bag supply ran out because the last thing he wanted was to put Elena's life in danger.


	4. May you find shelter from the storm

_Hey guys!_

 _I'm bringing you a new chapter today, I really hope you like it. Thanks so much for your support of this story and as always thanks to Vidhi for being the beta for this._

 _Enjoy!_

 _P.S. Let's forget about Lucy and Kat's friendship, yes?_

* * *

 _ **And the roof that hangs over your head  
Find you shelter from the storm**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

Stefan crossed his arms over his chest while he watched anxiously to the three Bennet witches preparing for spell at the center of the cave. Luci Bennet had arrived earlier that day, as a favor to Sheila she had said while giving him a side-glance full of curiosity. There was something about her that the young vampire didn't like but she was his only chance to get Elena back so he chose to ignore his gut in order to have her help with the spell.

"We are ready now" Bonnie said softly as she walked to him. Five days had passed since Elena and Damon got stuck in that tomb and Stefan knew it concerned the young witch as much as it did him; they both knew what Damon was capable and what other horrors were asleep inside that tomb, the fear of losing Elena was overwhelming on both of them "We will get her out, Stefan" She whispered as if she had somehow read what was inside his head.

"I hope so, Bonnie" He said softly; his face held a permanent frown as he regarded her. The young girl squeezed his forearm softly before turning around and walking to her relatives.

Stefan watched as the three witches held their hands together while the grimoire was lying on a stone right in the center of their circle. The torches around them burned brightly and the wind outside the cave howled along with the chants from Bennet witches' mouths.

The air inside started changing, Stefan felt goosebumps rising on his skin as the mystical atmosphere grew. His body stiffened, muscles in alert as the power of the witches grew; his eyes moved towards the stone blocking her beloved's way out, hoping to see her appear at any minute.

But none of it was to happen, because Sheila Bennet collapsed exhausted only minutes after the ritual started.

"What is going on?" Stefan asked as he watched Lucy and Bonnie running towards the older woman.

"She's not strong enough" Lucy bit out as she touched Sheila's pulse point "Not yet. I told her we should have waited a couple more days" She muttered.

Stefan felt panic gripping his insides "We don't have more time… every second that Elena is inside –"

"I know, Stefan" Bonnie interrupted, her voice was charged with sadness and defeat as she watched the weak body of her grandmother "But she cannot continue, not like this"

"Listen Bonnie-"

"No!" Lucy stood up and marched towards Stefan "I will not let Sheila die because she got mixed up in vampire business." Her chocolate eyes stared harshly at the vampire "Enough witches have died because of your kind, not anymore!"

Stefan had to bite his tongue to stop himself from saying something; he moved towards them and carried Sheila in his arms "We will do your spell" Lucy said as they walked towards the exit "But we need her to get strong again"

Stefan didn't answer; he could do nothing but pray that the time was enough for Elena to survive.

* * *

Damon's back rested against the cold stone surface of the cave walls; the blood in his system had started to drain which left him feeling too tired to even move. His companionship on this solicitude didn't seem to be much better; she was across from him, curled in a ball on the floor, his leather jacket served as a pillow against her head while her own was wrapped around her body to stop her from being too cold.

His eyes drank in her thinning form; dark circles marred the skin under her eyes and her skin was too pale for his liking, yet she had refused to drink blood from him again "Elena?" He asked after a while, afraid that she was already slipping away from him.

She grunted as she rolled onto her back "I'm not dead _yet_ , Damon"

The sound of his chuckle echoed in the quietness of the cave "I'm glad"

Elena sighed as she wrapped her arms around her form "I'm so cold… are you cold?"

"I am always cold, Elena" Damon whispered.

"I forgot" She answered back. Damon frowned; usually she would have a witty remark to throw his way which only meant she was worse than she had been before.

Damon sighed "Come here"

"No"

He raised an eyebrow in her direction "No?"

Elena shook her head; her eyes still closed and her body still lying on the ground "No"

"Why not?"

She took a deep breath before opening her eyes and turning her head in his direction "I know what you'll do"

The corners of his lips tipped up in his signature smirk "And what will I do?"

He could see her eyes shining in the dark, two chocolate orbs that could make him lose himself somewhere he didn't want to be "You'll give me another dream" She answered in a soft broken voice.

Damon tipped his head to the side, regarding her with curiosity "And you don't want that?"

"No" She said softly.

"Why not?"

Elena sighed deeply "I am not dumb, Damon" Concern shone in her eyes and Damon felt a weird warmness spreading through his dead heart "I know it weakens you, there's only so little blood left"

He smiled at her "But Stefan will save us before time is up"

A frown marred the skin on her forehead as she looked at him "Will he?"

"Yes, he will" He told her seriously, no traces of jokes or doubt on his features. Elena closed her eyes once again and didn't answer to him, he remained still for a few minutes, listening to the sound of her breathing "Fine, if you don't come then I'll go" He mustered every single drop of energy in his body and crawled towards where she was.

"No, Damon I'm serious" Elena told him as he neared her; his arms found her body and he pulled her to him "Get off"

"Stop fighting me" He whispered into her face; his arms secured around her slender frame as she trashed against him "No, come on" He told her a bit more harshly than he intended "I just want to spare you some of this suffering" His tone softened as he stroked her dirty cheek softly, Elena's eyes involuntarily moved to his lips, his closeness affecting her in ways she refused to acknowledge.

"I hate you" She pouted as he bit into his wrist. She stopped fighting against his hold; she was languid and soft in his arms.

"No you don't" He chuckled as he took his wrist to her lips. Without thinking twice about it Elena latched herself to it, the warm rich flavor filling her senses and invigorating her strength; she pressed closer to him, in the back of her mind she realized they were in a very precarious position, their bodies completely intertwined so she could feel every ridge of his body but she did not mind, not at the moment.

She allowed her senses to be filled with the warmth his blood brought; a moan escaped her lips as she felt the ecstasy cursing through her veins. Her body was on fire and she was vaguely aware that the lower part of her body was rubbing against Damon's leg, seeking for a release only he could give her.

Elena knew that someday soon she would regret her reckless behavior, but not right now. Not when there was nothing else but her body and the feelings he evoked in her. With a strangled cry Elena let herself go completely, succumbing to the pleasure that exploded inside her body.

When her eyes opened she was no longer in the darkness of the cave. She was now on a spacious salon; floor to roof windows on every wall, twinkling lights hang from the celling as around her couples on outdated attires danced to the sound of a familiar tune.

"Damon… where are we?" Elena asked; eyes open in wonder staring at the blue eyed vampire.

He smirked and looped an arm around her waist "Take a look" He said while gesturing towards the stage that rose a few feet away from them. There was an all too familiar looking man was singing into the microphone, an indolent mock on his lips as he played his guitar with incredible expertise.

Elena squealed as she turned her eyes to Damon once again "Oh my God!" She jumped up and down as her hands gripped his shoulders tightly. His lips widened in a smile while her eyes shone with utter delight "Damon that's Johnny Cash!"

"The one and only" He chuckled as he steadied her with his hands on her waist.

Elena closed her eyes as she swayed to the low baritone voice of her father's favorite singer. A look of utter pleasure on her face, Damon almost wanted to reach out to her to see if the vision in front of him was real or not "I can't believe this. I'm in the sixties, you know what would make this-"

"Look down doll"

Elena's eyes snapped open and she looked down at her attire "Holy…" Instead of the dirty jeans and long sleeved top she was now wearing a bright yellow mini dress with white stockings and a pair of kitten heels "Okay, this has got to be the best vampire power ever!" She exclaimed as she twirled around in her dress.

"Really?" Damon said jokingly "I thought it would be something like saving people"

Elena rolled her eyes at him before shrugging "I have my moments too"

He threw his head back and laughed "Yeah you do" He extended his hand towards her and she took it without thinking twice about it "Come on Gilbert, let's dance"

She danced with him to the sound of Johnny Cash's voice for what it felt like forever. With every moment she spent with him, Damon amazed her even more; here with her he wasn't the gloomy and angry vampire who wanted to tear the world apart, here he was just a man, a man who made too many sexual jokes and who really knew how to move his body, just a man who had lived so much without living at all. And here with him, for the first time in a long time Elena wasn't worried about anything; she wasn't thinking about her parents, or her depressed little brother, she didn't care about her aunt or if her best friends got along with her boyfriend.

Here she could be selfish and only think about herself.

As Damon twirled around Elena realized the song had changed and now the starting accords to Jailhouse Rock were starting. Her eyes widened as she glanced at the stage "Damon…"

"Yes?" His smoldering blue gaze travelled the length of her as she made silly movements to the rhythm of the song.

"Now Elvis is playing" She said in a hushed tone.

He chuckled as he took her hand and brought her body close to his "I am aware"

Her lips stretched into a smile "This is amazing!"

"Now, are you regretting not wanting me to do this"

"Shut up" She bit out and they continued dancing to Elvis voice for a couple more songs. As 'Can't help falling in love with you' came to ears she felt the inexplicable need of moving closer to him "Did you like it?" She asked; her brown eyes looking at him from underneath her lashes.

"What?" He asked, his voice sounded breathless as he spoke.

"This age" She whispered.

Damon's body relaxed as he twirled her gently "The music was good and so were the movies. The fashion…meh"

Elena's eyes widened in response "Seriously?" She told him, shock written all over her face "I think the fashion was amazing" Her eyes drank in his figure; dark jeans and white shirt underneath a leather jacket. He was a combination between James and John Travolta and Elena found herself utterly captivated by him. It felt so different than the decade dance they went to a couple of months ago "Look at you all handsome"

Damon's lips curved in his trademark smirk "Oh, so you think I'm handsome Elena"

Elena felt a blush rise to her cheeks; her guard had been lowered for a long time now that she didn't realize the words that come out in front of him "Shut up Damon" She whispered as she went to rest her head against his chest as the soft chords of the guitar kept humming around them.

As the minutes went by they continued swaying to beat of the changing songs, not once they went to sit down. Elena didn't want to, she felt extremely content being here with him, far away from the harsh reality that waited for them once they woke up.

A new sad tune Elena knew so well started to sound and she lifted her eyes to stare at Damon as they danced to the soft melody of 'Yesterday' "So, the beetles huh?"

His baby blues twinkled as he looked down at her "Now, you'll be the only girl of your age who can say she watched them live… all of them"

Elena threw her head back and laughed "This is so great!" Her hands had found a way to the nape of his neck and were now caressing the soft hair in there. In the back of her mind Elena knew this was wrong, she was Stefan's girlfriend and she wasn't this kind of woman and yet, she wasn't able to stop herself "Damon this is the best da-" Her eyes widened when she realized what she was about to say.

"Yeah?" His blue eyes shone with a hope she had never seen before and Elena felt her heart squeezing in her chest because of it.

"This is the best dream I've ever had" She said instead, a small smile gracing her lips. Damon chuckled as he spun her around, her back resting against his front and his arms secured themselves around her frame.

"I am glad I can please you, Elena" He whispered in her ear. She involuntarily threw her head back as she felt his lips ghosting over the skin of her neck.

"Damon…" She whispered, the music and the people around them were only background noise. At the moment she couldn't think of anything past the man who was holding her.

"Yeah?"

"Stop" She whispered without an ounce of conviction. Her body felt relaxed and languid in his arms, a warm sensation had started spreading in her belly and she wanted to be swept by it.

"Stop what?" He asked; she could hear the glee on his voice as he pressed his lips to her pulse point. She sucked in a breath at the feel of his tongue over her skin, her hands went to the arms that were holding her and squeezed.

"You know what" She said breathlessly, his mouth had moved from her neck and was now ghosting over the skin of her cheek "It isn't right"

Her eyes opened as she craned her neck and found him staring at her, his lips so close of her own "No, it isn't"

Suddenly and without notice the dream vanished around her. Elena was once again back in the tomb; her aching muscles reminding her everything had been nothing but a fantasy "What happened?" She murmured and felt panic invading her when she saw Damon's figure lying next to her on the ground "Oh my God, Damon" He wasn't moving and his skin had a greyish tint "Damon!" She nearly shouted in despair. Her hands moved towards the other side where she knew he had the remains of the blood he had brought for Katherine "Damn it"

Elena took the bag to his lips and forced him to sip from it, her body was in high alert. She shouldn't have allowed him to feed her or keep creating dreams around them. He drank greedily and without reservations, Elena got worried when she saw he was about to drain the whole thing so she pulled the bag away from him.

"No!" He shouted as he sprung up. The veins around his eyes appearing as he bared his fangs to her. She moved back frightened, in that moment he looked every bit of the predator he was, he seemed to gain consciousness soon, as his expression softened and his veins retreated "I'm sorry, God I'm sorry"

"It's all right" Elena said softly as she once again stored the remains of the blood, then she moved back towards him. A worried look present on her face as she assessed him "No more stupid dreams, okay?"

He chuckled as he moved so he could rest against the wall "It wasn't so stupid a few moments ago"

"You know what I mean" She said as she moved the hair that had fallen over his forehead "You're too weak and now I feel terrible" She had let herself being swept away in the magic and happiness of her dream that she hadn't stopped to think on the physical toll it was taking on him.

He raised his hands and caressed her cheek softly "Don't"

Elena moved away from his touch. Embarrassment and regret already filling her body "You need to rest" She told him softly, a look of disappointment crossed his face as he rested his head against the wall behind him and closed his eyes.

"All right, all right" He muttered as he slowly fell asleep.

Elena remained sitting across from him; her head and her heart were at a complete war with each other as she was watching him sleep. In rest he looked so innocent, so different from the man he truly was. It seemed that lately Elena had to think too hard to remember all the things Damon had done, with every minute she spend with him her feelings for him started to change and she didn't know how much of this torture she would be able to endure.

What was about him that made her so drawn to him? She loved Stefan, she knew she did. Then why? Why was something, something bigger than herself that made her feel connected to Damon, as if somehow her soul and his would be one and the same.

She laughed as she thought back on a book she had to read for class a few months ago ' _Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same'_ but they weren't, because she and Damon couldn't be more different from each other. Wasn't that the truth?

She loved Stefan.

That was the only truth.

* * *

 **So? What do you think?**


	5. May you be in heaven my friend

**Happy belated Valentine's Day my lovelies!**

 **Thank you so much for reading and taking the time to leave a review, you guys make my days brighter. And also huge thanks to Vidhi for being an amazing beta!**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

" **Before the devil knows you're dead. May you be in heaven, my friend"**

 **.**

 **.**

Elena's fist collided with the stone blocking their way out once more; bruises were already forming on her clear skin but she didn't relent. She felt like she was suffocating, she no longer knew how much time she and Damon had been locked inside that tomb, but for her it felt like ages. She was restless, she was tired and hungry and no amount of blood Damon gave her could truly satiate her; if that wasn't the worst, her feelings for said vampire had started to transform and the cowardly part of her wished out of that place so she wouldn't be forced to face what her changing feelings towards her boyfriend's brother meant.

"Damn it" She whispered before hitting the rock on last time and letting herself fall into the floor with a defeated sigh.

"Finally!" Damon's snarky voice echoed from somewhere in the dark "What did I tell you Thomas? She was going to give up after the first thirty" Elena rolled her eyes at Damon's conversation with his new 'Imaginary friend', he had claimed he was in desperate need of one, after spending so much time alone with her.

"Shut up, Damon!"

He chuckled "Someone is in a bad mood today"

"Do you truly expect me to be in a good mood?" She said harshly "How do you even now it's today? It might as well be yesterday because we have no idea what fucking day is it!" She threw her hands up in the air in despair. Elena felt like she was losing her sanity with every second she spent locked inside that damn tomb.

"Elena don't start with the bad words"

Damon's careless tone only fueled the fire inside her "Shut up just shut up, Damon" She nearly shrieked, despair dripping from her every word "Can you be serious about something for once?"

He snickered, unable to contain his amusement to her sudden outburst "I am serious, Elena"

"Yeah right, you think life is just a game, Damon" She huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. She could feel him moving closer to her, her eyes going to his direction in time to see the outline of his face next to her "This is a serious situation, God knows we can be dead in a few days and you are just sitting there, making jokes and talking with someone who doesn't exist!"

Somehow his closeness only made her feel more on edge, Elena felt like a damn dike wanted to break free inside her and she had no idea what the consequences of such catastrophe could be.

He chuckled "Now, don't hurt Thomas's feelings"

"Ugh" She shrieked at the same she smacked him across the chest "I hate you!"

"What do you want me to do, Elena?" He said as he grabbed the hand that went to smack him again, his voice had lost the gleeful tone and his eyes flashed in the dark "To panic and start hitting rocks because of something I can't change… you saw it, I can't get near that entrance or it burns me"

Elena knew he was right, she had seen it try to do it multiple times. Moreover she had watching him trying over and over again to find another way out to no avail, the tomb was designed to keep the vampires inside so there was no way they were going to break free without someone from the outside helping them out. She knew this, yet she couldn't help the growing frustration inside her, and she wanted to direct that into anger to the one person who was there to take it.

"So what? You just give up and expects us to miraculously get free" She bit out, her anger getting the best out of her.

Damon released her hand and slumped back against the wall, his legs were extended in front of him in a careless manner "No, I have faith in my brother who is always fixing my messes"

She huffed in frustration "In that you are right, because this is all your fault!"

"Tell me something I don't know, Elena" He remarked, a somber tone taking hold of his voice but Elena decided to ignore it and keep attacking him.

"I'm going to die here because of you and your stupid obsession with that psychotic bitch!"

His flashing eyes went back to her. A shiver going down her spine at the way he was looking at her "Why aren't you a little louder, I'm sure the vampires at the end didn't hear you"

"I don't care anymore, I'm going to be dead soon anyway!" Her eyes filled with tears as she stood up; the despair was overwhelming her and seeing that no matter how much she probed, Damon didn't snap only made her get more angry.

"Tone it down with the melodramatics, Gilbert"

She huffed in frustration "Why Damon, why did you have to go and do this?" She cried "You've caused nothing but trouble since you arrived and now this? God, and she didn't even love you…"

"I am well aware of it, Elena" His voice was low and his tone so cold that she felt the entire atmosphere of the tomb changing.

Elena sighed "Damon I didn't mean-"

"You think I want to be here by choice, Elena?" He spat as he stood up, his form hovering over her "That I want to look at you and be reminded of the awful things I've done… that I'll be responsible if something happens to you?" In the darkness that surrounded them Elena could see the clenched set of his jaw and the fire that burning in his blue gaze.

It frightened and hurt her at the same time.

Her expression softened as she walked to him "Damon I know -"

"You don't know shit, Elena!" He shouted at her "Yes, I've destroyed everything and now I'll just wait for my brother to fix it but don't worry I'll get out of your hair while we're at it"

With one last disdainful glance in her direction he turned his back and started walking towards the path leading to the back. Elena bit her lip in anguish before walking towards him "Damon!" She shouted but he did not stop, his figure lost in the shadows and she decided to stop, for she was afraid of what could be lurking in there if he wasn't by her side to save her.

She slumped on the ground, tears falling from her eyes as she called out for him "Damon, Damon get back!" Her whole body felt frozen and she hugged her knees to her chest in an attempt to warm herself but she knew it would be futile, because the chill was coming right from inside her.

She had wanted to send Damon away, had wanted to keep distance from him because that way she wouldn't have to dwell too much on her growing feelings for him and what it said about her for having them.

Elena had succeeded but instead of feeling relieved, she felt like a huge hole had emerged in her chest.

* * *

Bonnie smiled sadly as she walked towards Elena's front porch. The figure of a lonely man sitting on the steps while the house slept was enough to break anyone's heart, but for her it was more because she knew the reason for the pain etched into his face.

"I figured I'll find you here" She said as she sat down next to him.

He sighed as he fixed his eyes on the shinning moon above them "I feel close to her in this place" Pain shone in his eyes as he spoke "I'm at loss Bonnie, they've been in there for two weeks now… I don't know if she-"

"If she what?"

"She wouldn't be able to survive this long without food or water"

Bonnie felt the fear spreading its ugly tentacles around her body "Don't think like that, Stefan"

He made an impatient sound "It's only the truth, Bonnie" He murmured "For Elena to survive this long… she would have to drink Damon's blood" Bonnie let out a hard intake of breath at his words "That is if he didn't kill her first"

"Stefan!" Bonnie hissed while her eyes opened like saucers "You can't say things like that" She casted a furtive glance to the dark house behind her as if somehow Jenna or Jeremy would walk out at any minute "I think Damon is the worst kind of scum in the world… but I don't think he would hurt her"

Stefan let out a defeated sigh before turning his eyes to the young witch "Yeah I know that too… it's just… it's impossible to keep myself optimistic"

Bonnie gave him a sad smile and squeezed his forearm in support "Grams thinks she'll be ready in a couple more days, not past this week Stefan" Her dark eyes shone with concern and regret "I promise I won't let Elena remain there any longer, no matter the cost" Stefan nodded in understanding and they remained in silence for a couple of minutes "What did you tell them?" Bonnie asked, her eyes moving towards the house again to signal him of whom she was talking about.

"I compelled them to believe she's visiting family in Denver" Stefan laughed sardonically "I'm strong enough to compel them but not to get her out of there"

"That's magic, you wouldn't be able to help her even if you were the strongest vampire in the world"

"Yeah, you're right"

Bonnie gave him a sympathetic glance before standing up "I got to head home now but I just wanted you to know we'll be ready this time, I won't let her spend anymore time with him"

The corner of Stefan's mouth lifted in the attempt of a smile "Thank you Bonnie, thank you"

He watched her go with a renewed sense of hope but with something at the back of his mind nagging him, telling him that perhaps once they got to Elena it would be too late.

* * *

Elena sighed as she dropped her head against the wall behind her "Damon, I'm sorry, please come back" She whispered; cold was seething through her bones and the silence surrounding her was too much to bear "Damon, I don't want to be here alone" Her voice came out a little louder as she stood up and started moving towards the back where she saw Damon disappear earlier.

A chill ran down her body with every step she took, she knew what was lurking in the dark and yet she feared the prospect of being alone more than she feared the vampires resting in there. "Damon please". Complete darkness surrounded her as she walked; the quietness and silence of tomb made even the air surrounding her seem eerie. Her legs were shaking as she walked "Damon" She whispered once more.

A pair of hands grabbed her by the shoulders from behind and her mouth opened to shout but his voice stopped her in the last second "Are you out of your mind" He hissed as he twirled her body around to face him "What the fuck are you doing back here!"

Her lower lip trembled in a mixture of fear and relief as she stared at his handsome face "I was looking for you"

"I heard" He muttered as he released her from his grip, though it seemed quiet unbelievable to her, Elena felt the loss of his touch instantly "Don't you think, I didn't wanted to be found?"

Elena sighed as her eyes went to look at the floor "I'm sorry"

"I know you are" He whispered, not an ounce of snark or anger could be heard in his voice. Only true sincerity and in that moment Elena realized that not many times Damon allowed himself to be his true self with other people, most of the times he hid himself behind crude comments or jokes.

She walked a step closer to him and bit her lip in frustration when she felt him walk a step back "Being desperate makes me mean; I didn't intend to say what I did"

Damon gave her a sad sympathetic smile "Yes you did, you're just too kind to say it most of the time"

Elena wasn't able to stop the stab of pain that went through her body at his words and the sadness in there; when she first met Damon she thought she had him figured it out but as she spent more and more time with him she began to realize how truly layered and how much of a complicated man he was.

"Will you come back now?" She asked him and saw his mask fall into place, erasing any sign of the Damon she had got to know in the last couple of days.

"If I didn't you would be dead soon" He said while rolling his eyes, a smirk appeared on his lips as he took her elbow and started directing her back to the entrance "We don't want that, right?"

They walked in silence and Elena was surprised to find how relieved she felt on being next to him again. Perhaps it was that she had spent too much time with him lately but she couldn't deny that there was something that drew her to Damon; it was as if something on a cellular level made her body gravitate towards him.

They sat down on the ground once more facing each other, his eyes were closed and as she stared at his profile she felt an urge to know what was inside Damon Salvatore's head, what had made him the man he was now "What was she like?"

His eyes opened, a frown marring his forehead as he stared at her "Excuse me?"

"What made you love her?" Elena asked as she fidgeted with a thread that was lose on her jeans "Don't get me wrong but she seems to me like a spoiled bitch"

Damon chuckled without an ounce of humor "She was, but we didn't want to see her for what she truly was" He whispered, his eyes clouding with something she didn't know how to name "I was different back then"

"Different… how?"

He sighed "I was naïve, soft… too damn soft" The corner of his lips turned up in a sly smile "You would have liked me back then"

Elena almost bit her tongue in order to stop herself from telling him she liked him quite well the way he was now… except perhaps where he was a murderous vampire. Instead she asked her next question "And you changed for her?"

"I changed because of her" He stated. His eyes acquired a faraway and almost blissful look and Elena didn't understood the stab of jealousy that went through her body "She was exhilarating, exciting… she was everything I wasn't. Being near her… it made me feel powerful and I grasped the feeling like nothing else"

They remained in silence for a while, the weight of it heavy among them. Elena's hands still played with the thread on her jeans as her eyes concentrated on it while she asked a question that terrified her for no apparent reason "And you still love her?" She winced when the words left her mouth "What am I saying? Of course you do… either wise we wouldn't-"

"I do" He interrupted her and then shook his head in what appeared to be exasperation "I don't know… sometimes I wonder if I truly know what love is"

Elena remained silence for a few seconds before speaking again "Well… it's her loss"

Damon chuckled "Yeah, I don't think so" He stretched his legs in front of him in such a careless fashion that she knew he was only pretending not to care "I'm sure she's been having the time of her life all those years while a bunch of people suffered because of her" The edge of resentment in his voice couldn't be denied and something inside Elena eased at realizing the evil vampire had no longer a spell on him.

She sighed "Yeah well, I'm sure whatever she's doing can't be better than dancing to Johnny Cash, The Beatles and Elvis all in one night" Her lips had stretched into a smile and he could almost see her eyes twinkling in the darkness that surrounded them.

"You are something else, Gilbert" He whispered the words before he could think about what they truly meant.

"Yeah?" She raised in eye brow in his direction, inviting him to elaborate more on her previous words but he did not take the bait. Instead he lay down on the cold floor, his previously discarded jacket working as a pillow for his head.

"Good night Elena" He whispered as he closed his eyes.

Elena snorted in annoyance but followed his lead and lay on the floor as well. She moved her body closer because being on the opposite extreme seemed too lonely now "You don't even know if it's day or night"

A smile played on his lips at feeling her close but he did not open his eyes "I'm telling you its night, so it's time to sleep"

Elena chuckled before snuggling into her leather jacket. Their bodies so close that he could swear he was feeling the heat of her body "Good night Damon" She whispered before succumbing to the land of dreams once more.

* * *

 **Review?**


	6. May the sun shines warm on your skin

**Hey guys!**

 **Thank so much for reading and reviewing this story, as always it means the world to me that you take the time to do it so. I want to let you know we only have a couple chapters more in this story so please enjoy. I also want to thanks Vidhi for being such an awsome beta and helping me out with this one.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Oh and btw go and check my new story pretty please**

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" **May the wind be always at your back and the sun shine warm upon your face"**

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A frown marred his forehead as he stared at her; the right side of her face was etched into the cold stone covering the entrance, her eyes looked weary and her breathing was coming out shallow. He didn't know for sure but he guessed than an entire day had transpired after their fight. He knew she was losing it already and he felt powerless at not being able to help her. This had been his mess and somehow he had dragged her into it.

"Elena?" He asked and his frown intensified when he didn't get an answer "Are you all right?"

A horrible wheezing sound came to his ears followed by her words "I don't think I can breathe"

"What are you talking about!" He exclaimed before standing up from his spot at the other side and moving towards her "Elena?"

He heard a deep intake of breath as her eyes found his "Damon, I can't breathe"

A deep sense of panic invaded him as he watched the despair reflected on her face; Damon kneeled down in front of her and took hold of her body, moving her away from the entrance and closer to his body "Nonsense" He said trying to act nonchalant as he sat down "You can breathe just fine"

"No" She said before inhaling once again, the air getting stuck in her throat. Damon felt her body trembling as he pulled her so she was sitting on his lap, her back to his chest "Damon…"

"Shhh" He pressed a hand to her chest softly "You can breathe just fine, Elena" He whispered as he would do a child; he knew there was no trouble with her airway and that her mind was starting to play tricks on her, he needed to find a way to relax her or things were going to get much uglier pretty soon.

"Damon, I can't" She cried out in despair as she felt unable to take the air she needed to live "I can't"

"Elena, just feel myself breathing" He whispered as he exhaled strongly, his hand softly pressed into her chest as she felt his chest heaving behind her "You can do that, right?" He asked softly into her ear "Just feel my breathing and couple to it"

Elena nodded and tried to do what she was told; she felt his chest moving behind her, felt the ghost of his breath on her neck and the soft hand pressing above her chest. She closed her eyes and tried to focus only in the way he was breathing and the sound that left his nose as he exhaled.

She relaxed into his embrace without truly knowing, it was as if her airways were suddenly unclogged and the air was able to get in once again, she felt his lips press a soft kiss underneath her ear and she couldn't help but throw her head back so it rested above his shoulder.

"Better?"

She nodded, still too shocked up to open her eyes. She felt her body slump atop of his while a fog started to cloud her head, his lips placed a kiss on her jaw and she smiled at the feel of it. Her mind was cloudy and she started to feel an intense sense of peace overwhelming her.

When her eyes fluttered open, she was no longer in the tomb. The sun was shining on her face and the soft breeze caressed her skin. She realized then that she was standing in front of her house and was once again in one of the beautiful dreams created by Damon.

"It's a beautiful day, isn't?" The man in question said from behind her. She turned around and found a conceited smirk on his lips as his blue eyes shone with mischief.

Elena sighed deeply and proceeded to slap him "Ouch" He said as he took a hand to touch the cheek she had just hit "What was that about?"

Elena fumed as she stared at him "You promised, no more dreams"

"I don't remember making such promise"

She narrowed her eyes at him "Yes you did. You promise you won't do this anymore because it was draining you and the last thing we want is for you to dissect and die"

"Careful Elena, or one might thing you worry about me"

"Don't be a jerk, Damon"

He sighed, "Look I'm sorry but… I honestly couldn't spend another minute watching you lose your mind" His eyes were soft and caring as he stared at her "…you needed to clear your head"

One corner of her mouth lifted in a timid smile "Thank you" She said softly "But we don't have more blood Damon… we can't-"

"Hush" He placed a finger on top of her lips "Let's not worry about this right now, why don't you take a look" He motioned his head towards the house and Elena felt her eyes welling with tears when she followed his movements, because there standing on the porch were two of the people she loved the most in the world.

"Mom...Dad!" Her voice wobbled as she spoke. Miranda and Grayson smiled at her from the porch and she felt her heart squeeze in her chest. "Damon… how?" Her eyes moved from the picture on the porch to the amazing vampire standing next to her.

His lips were curved in a genuine smile and in that moment Elena thought she had not seen something as beautiful before. "The mind is a powerful thing, Elena"

Tears rolled down her cheeks "Oh my God, Damon!"

He bumped his shoulder with hers as she stared straight ahead towards his parents "Come on don't waste more time with me"

Elena smiled and hugged him "Thank you" She whispered before leaving his arms and practically running towards her parents. "Mommy" She choked on a sob as her arms went to her Mother's slender frame, the scent of her perfume filled her nose and Elena felt her heart warming, for she had never believed she could feel this safe again.

Miranda pulled away from the embrace with a smile and her hands went to caress her daughter's hair softly "Oh Elena, look how pretty you look today"

Her father put a hand on her shoulder and Elena thought she might break at the simple touch "We were waiting for you, though you might want to play some board games with your old man"

Tears welled in her eyes, Elena nodded "Yes, yes of course, I want too!"

"Let's get inside then" Miranda said softly as she squeezed her elbow "I've prepared your favorite dinner, we can play for a while and then enjoy it"

"Yes, yes of course" Elena looked from both her mother to her father and thanked Damon once more for allowing her live such a precious moment; giving her the most wonderful moment next to the people she loved the most in the world.

They moved towards the door as Miranda sighed contently "Oh such a wonderful day today is" She whispered as they entered the house.

Elena nodded "Yes mommy, it is"

Damon watched them go with a smile on his face. He could feel the life force being drained of his body with each passing moment; he knew he wouldn't be able to hold on much longer, he only hoped to gain enough time for her to say goodbye.

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Elena's body felt like it could burst from happiness the entire time she was with her parents; it had hurt so much when they died, when she woke up in that hospital bed only to realize they hadn't made it out of the water. Everything had been so sudden that she never got a chance to say goodbye, but now, thanks to Damon she was sitting in front of them once again.

They had eaten dinner and played Pictionary, afterwards they prepared popcorn and sat down to watch a movie in the living room; Elena had no idea how these dreams Damon gave her worked or how was he able to present all of this in front of her but it felt so real, it didn't feel like a dream at all and she was so grateful for it.

When the sun outside the windows started to set in Elena knew it was time to say goodbye, she had probably exhausted too much of Damon's energy already and it wasn't fair of her to drain him in order to maintain her fantasy, so with tear filled eyes, she hugged her mom and dad goodbye; she breathed in the smell of their perfume and relished in their touch, she treasured every single moment for she knew she could never see them again.

And once she felt her heart could no longer take more goodbyes she left the house, the sun was already hidden and Damon was standing right at the bottom of the porch steps.

"Are you all right?" He asked after one look at her puffy eyes and the tears still rolling down her cheeks. Elena nodded but instead of answering with words she threw herself in his arms "Hey… it's okay" He whispered softly to her as he stroked her hair.

It was strange for him to feel this need to protect and care for Elena; up until they were locked inside the tomb he hadn't thought much about his feelings for her, there was some kind of understanding between them but he didn't believe himself to have any kind of intense feelings towards her… but now, now he couldn't quite understand what he was feeling, it wasn't the same as Katherine… it was _more_ somehow and it scared him.

"Thank you" She whispered, her words muffled against his chest "Thank you so much Damon" Elena pulled away from him, her red rimmed eyes staring up at him. The overwhelming surge of emotions she felt surprised her and frightened her at the same time.

"There's nothing to be thankful for" He shrugged nonchalantly "I was bored so…"

Elena's lips curved slightly in the corners "Keep telling yourself that." He smiled back at her and strange warmth pooled in her stomach at the sight, her eyes flickered to his lips briefly and she felt her legs threatening to give out.

He looked at her quizzically "Are you certain that you are all right?" Elena felt her cheeks flushing and her eyes welling with tears once again "Elena, what is wrong?"

"I am just like her" She whispered as she hid her face between her hands.

Damon frowned as he moved closer to her "What are you talking about?"

Elena dropped her hands and met his startling blue eyes "I am her, Damon"

"Who?"

"Katherine" She whispered.

His eyes widened in surprise followed by an indolent smile "Okay, I know you are practically her twin but trust me you have nothing in common with that selfish bitch"

Elena shook her head "I wish that was true"

"Why would you think you are anything like her?"

"Because of this" Elena said before doing the one thing she swore to herself would never do and joining her lips to his. His lips remained unmoving for a fraction of a second, her outburst taking him by surprise but soon he was kissing her back and allowing himself to feel things he never experienced before because kissing Elena was simply the most precious moment in his existence.

The one thing he didn't even know he desired.

As he took her in his arms his mind went back to that girl he met on the side of the road what felt like ages ago, he thought about how much he wanted to kiss her even after knowing she was not Katherine. How her spirit and something in the way she smiled at him had made him feel more than he ever felt in his long life. And he couldn't believe that he was now holding her in his arms.

Elena's mind went completely blank as she kissed him; his lips were soft, spreading warmth through her whole body. He wasn't rough as she would expect him to be, he was gentle and sensual at the same time. His lips igniting a fire inside her she didn't know she possessed, her body pressed closer to his, wanting to feel every bit of him against her. Elena simply couldn't understand, couldn't think what was this thing between them but she knew if she allowed it go further, then it would end up consuming her whole.

In spite of knowing this, she did not pull away; she lost herself in his embrace and the feel of his lips, thoughts of Stefan and Bonnie and what was right and wrong flew out of her mind as their lips met in a frenzied dance.

Because kissing Damon Salvatore felt more right than anything she ever felt before.

Until, it wasn't right anymore.

With a sudden gasp Damon pulled away from her and Elena watched under terrified eyes how his skin acquired a greyish tone, how his features seemed to shrink away as the world around them evaporated. Back into the tomb once again Elena felt his body, which was still holding her in his lap, collapsing into the cold floor.

"Damon!" She nearly shrieked as she turned around and saw his limp body into the floor "Damon, what is going on?"

Her insides filled with panic as she regarded his almost unmoving form; the tilt of his eyes and the small movements on his lips were the only sign that he was alive "I think I might be joining our friends here" With a move of his eyes he signaled towards the back of the tomb where the rest of the vampires were.

Elena shook her head in fear "No" She closed her eyes as if in pain "My God this is my fault, you created those dreams for me and now… now there's no more blood or anymore strength" When she opened he could see her eyes were welled in tears and the sight made something in his heart warm, something that had remained frozen for far too long "This is my fault"

His lips curved in a small smile "Not your fault, Elena"

Elena stared at the almost dissected vampire on the floor and tried to conjure him to be the evil monster that had caused havoc on her town for the last weeks. She tried to see the man who had used and abused Caroline, who had attacked Bonnie and had killed Vicky and while she knew his flaws were too great and there was no way a couple of days were going to make a difference…watching him right now she couldn't see that Damon anymore.

She only saw a dying man who had sacrificed his strength in order to give her some peace and happiness in such a dark, cold place. Did that make her a fool? A glutton for punishment? Was it foolish to believe he could be more than he already was?

Was it stupid of her to feel those things for him and do what she was about to do?

"Damon…" Elena took a deep breath as she stared into his midnight blue eyes "You're going to have to drink from me"

His eyes widened as she used the last of his strength to move his head back and forth in denial because he knew if he drank from her now there was a chance he wasn't going to stop but Elena could care less for herself, she had made up her mind and was going to save Damon Salvatore.


	7. Until the day we meet again

Hey there!

First of all, thank you so much for reading and taking the time to review. It means a lot to me that you enjoy this story, I'm not very good at writing cannon so the fact that actually like this, means the world to me. I also want to let you know that there's only two chapters left on this story but I already started posting a new one and I have another one on the way.

As always, I want to thank Vidhi for being an awesome and super fast beta! Thanks so much girl!

Anyway, here we go.

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" _ **May the rains fall soft upon your field… until the day we meet again"**_

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Damon stared dumbstruck at her; he didn't know if the desiccation had already reached his brain or if she had indeed uttered the words that he heard. Her eyes were wild and frightened as she stared at him and for a second the strangest emotion wrapped him up; he felt an urge to comfort her, to regain his strength and tell her everything was going to be all right, never since he became a vampire he felt the same need to care for someone. Damon wanted to dwell on that feeling and what it meant for him but at the moment he was facing more pressing matters.

He mustered up every single drop of energy that remained in his body to whisper in the dark cave "You are insane if you think you will…" A choking noise crawled the length of his throat.

"Damon!" Elena's frantic voice echoed in the silence around them.

Seeing Damon so utterly powerless was disconcerting to Elena who was used to seeing him always like a force to be reckoned. This was someone who had inflicted more pain than she wanted to dwell on, and at the moment he was nothing more than a weakening body, completely at her mercy.

Elena was no fool, she knew how dangerous it could be to have Damon drinking from her in the state he was, she knew he needed only a minute to lose control and end her life, and yet she did not care. She had no idea if it was the ingrained need in her to help others or if the connection and developing feelings towards Damon had anything to do with it, but she knew she would never forgive herself if she let him die after he gave her so much.

So, with trembling hands she took hold of a sharp rock and sliced the side of her neck. The sting and pain of the cut was enough to make her wince, a trembling moan came out of her lips and she watched as Damon's eyes opened in fright and wanting. She could feel the blood dripping from the side of her neck so she took a deep breath; using every ounce of her strength she pulled his body towards her.

"No" The sound came wheezing out of his mouth but she paid no attention to it, Elena was on a mission, so without second thoughts she took him by the nape of his neck and pulled his mouth towards her.

He fought it, Elena would later remember how truly strong he was in that moment when he refused to drink from her; but she pushed him and he was truly starving so in the end there was no power that could stop him from latching into her warm skin and drinking from her essence.

Elena's eyes widened as his fangs pierced her already marred skin; it was strange but it was as if she could literally feel the blood being pulled out from her but it was more, she felt connected to him, she felt something warm and tingly waking up in the pit of her belly. She felt pain and she felt pleasure, and this combination was intoxicating.

"Damon…" She said in a breathless whisper as he lowered her into the ground. His fangs remained etched into her neck; her hands gripped him by the waist as she let the overwhelming pleasure wash over her. And then… then the pleasure became numbness and dark spots started clouding her vision. "Damon…" She whispered once again as she tightened her hold on his waist but he did not stop. He was too far gone.

Elena felt the life ebbing away from her, blackness invading her as she felt all the strength leaving her body. She knew she was probably supposed to feel afraid but she didn't, she felt oddly at peace so she closed her eyes and let the darkness carry her away.

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Outside the tomb, Stefan stood with the Bennet witches as they prepared for the spell. It was a Friday night, almost two weeks after Elena and Damon were trapped, and that day Sheila Bennet had woken up with a renewed sense of strength and had claimed it was the perfect time to perform the spell; Bonnie still gave her concerned glances for she did not believed her grandmother was strong enough, but she knew better than to argue with the old woman when she had made up her mind.

"Are we sure it is going to work this time?" Stefan asked nervously from where he stood at the edge of the circle, the witches had created on the ground.

Lucy snorted in clear dislike of the young vampire "Of course not. But do you have a better idea boy?" The sideway glance she threw his way would have been enough to coward a lesser man.

"Lucy…" Bonnie warned in a soft voice.

"Fine, I'll behave" The older woman said with a roll of her eyes; she lit the last of the torches and directed herself to Sheila "All set"

The old witch smiled, there was a gleam in her eyes and a strong aura of power surrounded her. "Yes, we are ready" Sheila placed the grimoire on a small stone altar she had created earlier that evening and following her action the three witches took hold of their hands and started chanting the words Stefan had already heard twice before.

"I really hope this works" He muttered under his breath as he watched the stone covering the entrance to the tomb anxiously. He had lived in utter hell the last two weeks; he could do nothing but wonder what was happening inside that tomb, he didn't trust his brother with Elena's life and the only thing he could do was to believe he had made a mistake with him and that Damon would be incapable of hurting Elena, because the alternative was just too much for him to bear.

For Stefan it felt like ages ago, though in reality it was just a mere minutes. The place buzzed with energy, he could feel the magic in the air around him and once again marveled at all the power those young women held in their hands. He waited and waited and when the noise the trees outside him overwhelmed his ears he knew Sheila would succeed this time, he knew he was to see Elena again.

"It's working" He whispered as he casted anxious glances between the witches and the entrance to the tomb. The three women squeezed their hands more tightly and he could practically see the power running from one to the other and perhaps he would have enjoyed the sight another time, for it was something to behold, but at the moment he could do nothing but wait for that stone to be removed so he could rescue the woman he loved.

Then it happened; the torches died done and Stefan watched, in utter fascination, how once again the entrance to the tomb was free "It is done" Sheila whispered.

Stefan didn't think twice about it and ran towards his entrance, fearing everything to be a ruse and that Elena will be gone to him once again. "Elena" He whispered her name as he walked inside but when his eyes adjusted to dark all that he saw was his biggest nightmare.

He heard Bonnie's sharp intake of breath followed by her words "Oh my God"

But besides that he wasn't able to register anything; because there on the cold ground Elena's lifeless body was lying, an open wound marred the skin of her neck and Damon was pressing his wrist to her mouth, a look of utter devastation to his eyes.

"You son of a bitch" Stefan shouted before lunging towards him. With a force he didn't know he possessed, he took the body of his older brother and threw him outside of the tomb.

Damon landed on the ground, Sheila and Lucy watched with widened eyes the scene unfolding in front of them. Damon stood up, his physical state almost intact since the blood he drank from Elena had been enough to renew his strength. His eyes were frantic as he looked behind Stefan, to the body of the young girl lying on the cold ground "I didn't mean to"

"The hell you didn't" Stefan shrieked; green eyes blazing with a fury Damon had never seen before. Not waiting another minute Stefan went at him again, his blow knocking him into the ground a second time. He kneeled above him and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt "I will never forgive you for this"

A look of true regret, something he hadn't seen in Damon ever since he became a vampire appear on his face. His brother was in pain and Stefan knew this, but at the moment he couldn't care less because he had done the thing he could never forgive him for "I'm sorry, God I'm sorry"

Damon's apologies seemed only to anger him more and he was about to land another blow on him when Bonnie's voice stopped him "Stefan, Stop! She needs help"

He closed his eyes in defeat as Damon kept murmuring pitiful apologies "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" But Stefan didn't care about his brother's apologies so he left him behind. He zoomed towards the tomb where his girlfriend's body lay on the ground, she wasn't dead, now that the initial shock had passed he was able to hear the faint sound of her heartbeat, at least his brother hadn't killed her, but he wondered how much of a trauma the experience had left in her.

"It's going to be all right, Elena; it's going to be all right" He kept murmuring the words as he pierced his wrist and placed it on her lips, the same way Damon had been doing seconds earlier. He couldn't be more grateful that they managed to open the tomb when they did, because the alternative was too much for him to bear.

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Damon stumbled out of the tomb in a haze; he knew the witches weren't following which relieved him but also made him utterly confused. They should have frozen him on the spot, hell they should have burned him on the spot for what he had done.

A monster.

He had proved once again to be nothing but the monster Stefan always told him he was. Was he surprised? He shouldn't have. Wasn't that what he himself claimed to be? He had promised his brother an eternity of misery and tonight he had put another nail in that endless coffin.

Then what was that uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach? Why couldn't he get rid of the memory of her face, or the feel of her lips against his and what her smile could do to his senses? Why couldn't he stop hearing her disapproving voice in his head, the small whispers of his name she released as he sucked the life out of her?

With a roar Damon collapsed on the wood's grounds; his hands fisted his hair as he dropped his face to the floor in despair. He had failed her, Elena Gilbert had trusted the most precious thing to him and he had failed her. He knew he wouldn't be able to stop, in that state he was there was nothing that could have made him stop and yet he allowed her to feed him.

He relished in this.

And nearly killed her.

He didn't know what greater force had made him stop but when he had done she was already unconscious, in the brink of dead for wanting to save him. How was it possible that a girl with the same face as his ex-vampire lover could be so different from her? How could her soul be so pure? Before her Damon didn't truly believe someone like her could exist, someone so innocent and good and yet there she was. Wanting to give her life for everyone she cared about.

Did that mean she cared about him? And that care had almost cost the girl her life?

Damon didn't deserve her love or her kindness and he sure as hell didn't deserve her kisses. He was just like Katherine, ruining everything good in its wake, maybe in his obsession with her he had managed to become exactly like her. Maybe she had tarnished since long before and had created this cruel monster that now lived in him. For a second he dared to hope Elena was going to be his saving grace, but he had ruined that too.

He needed to leave, for once he needed to do what was right and let Stefan be happy without him. He had come to this town with the intention of releasing Katherine only to find out she wasn't in there and he had vowed to make his brother's life a misery but somewhere along the way his humanity had caught him off guard and had resurfaced.

Now he needed to leave.

He needed to get the hell away from that place before he could hurt someone else and he needed to say goodbye to that humanity she had managed to relieve in him.

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 **Review?**


	8. May the road rise to meet your feet

Hello!

Today, on the anniversary of TVD ending and of our beloved Delena endgame I bring you a new chapter of this story, I can't thank you enough for reading this and being kind enough to leave me your words. This fandom has been one of the loveliest things I've experienced in life and I'm so grateful to you for helping me keep Delena alive even a year after the show's ending, your support means the world to me.

We only have one more chapter to go before we say goodbye to this story so I really hope you enjoy it, as always I want to thank Vidhi for being kind enough to beta this for me.

Enjoy!

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" **And the road, may it rise to meet your feet. And be downhill all the way to your door"**

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Elena snuggled her face into the softness below her and breathed in, lavender, it smelled like lavender. The thought brought a smile to her lips as she slowly peeled her eyelids open. Confusion clouded her mind as her eyes adjusted to her surroundings, she was back in her room but she couldn't quite remember how she had managed to get there. Was Damon also…

Damon.

He had been dying… and she had given him her blood. He couldn't control himself and she had surrendered herself to the darkness. She propped her body into her elbows and scanned the room; it looked exactly as it was before she disappeared that night to help Damon bring back Katherine. But her clothes were not the same, she thought while looking down at herself, for now she was wearing a comfy pair of pajamas. She was no longer tired or hungry as she had been back in the tomb, everything looked oddly the same as before she took off that night and for some reason the thought was discouraging.

Her eyes darted to the door when she heard the sound of the doorknob and seconds later Stefan appeared on the entrance. He looked weary and tired and dashingly handsome as always but somehow his effect on her wasn't the same and the mere thought made dread settle in her stomach.

"Hey" He said softly as he walked towards her holding a cup in his hand "I heard you waking up so I brought you some hot cocoa" He handed the cup to her and smiled slightly, there was something in his eyes that unsettled her but she did not wish to dwell on it for too long.

"Thank you" Elena answered before taking the cup to her lips and sipping gently. The warmth and richness of the flavors travelled through her throat and she almost wanted to moan at that feeling; it had been so long since she savored something so delicious.

Stefan took a seat at the edge of her bed; his warm eyes looking at her in concern "How are you feeling?"

Elena nodded as she pressed her body into the headboard "Oddly fine" She said as she lowered the cup of cocoa from her lips "I guess I should probably feel more battered after being locked in there for… how long it was?"

"Nearly two weeks"

Elena frowned in surprise "I thought it had been longer" It certainly had felt that way for her. So many things had changed in such a short span of time.

"I can only imagine" Stefan said sadly "I'm so sorry, Elena"

She gave him a quizzical look while she placed her cup of cocoa in the night stand "Sorry for what? It wasn't your doing."

He let out a troubled sigh as he tousled his hair with his right hand "It might as well have been. I… I should have known any plan involving Damon was doomed to end in disaster, I should have-"

Elena gave him a sympathetic glance as she extended her hands and took hold of his "No, Stefan don't blame yourself. If there's anyone to blame in any case that would be Katherine"

His eyes opened in surprise at the evident bitterness in her words "But Katherine is not to blame for what he did to you"

A strange sense of worry started spreading through her bones at the sound of his words "What do you mean?"

His jaw clenched as his eyes refused to look anywhere but her face "Elena, I know he fed from you"

"Oh" That was the only sound that came out of her lips at his words and the unmasked bitterness in them. Elena had been so confused when she woke up that she hadn't gotten the time to worry about the precarious situation they must have seen when they found them and what it meant for her and Damon.

Unbeknownst to her inner turmoil Stefan continued ranting about his brother, his eyes burned with rage as every word left his lips "I was so damn scared… when we opened that tomb as he was there hovering over you"

"Stefan… where is Damon?"

"Long gone by now I hope" He said as his eyes finally met hers once again "Because if I see him around you again I will kill him, I'll never forgive him for what he did to you"

Elena released the hand she had been holding and instead took her to rest on top of her lap "No, Stefan you don't understand. He helped me" Elena couldn't help the tenderness that invaded her when she remembered Damon and all he did for her inside that place, was it possible for someone to change her feelings in such a short amount of time? Was everything she was feeling only a side effect of the trauma she endured in there, was it going to go away with time?

Stefan huffed as he abruptly stood up from the bed "Helped you? He only helped himself"

"Stefan-"

His hands balled into fist at this sides and he nearly shouted at her "He fed from you Elena!" A vein on his neck was popping furiously and Elena briefly thought she had never seen him so angry before.

"I know, I offered" Her words where soft and gentle in the stillness of the room but they carried so much weight that they even made the air around them shift.

"What?"

"He was dying, Stefan" Elena told him; her mind going back to those moments where she saw the light ebbing away from him "While in there… you must have wondered how I survived"

His jaw clenched so hard she was surprised he didn't break something "Yes"

"He gave me his blood, Stefan, without that I wouldn't be here now" Elena felt her heart aching when she saw the pain reflected on Stefan's eyes, the betrayal that a simple statement made him feel "I couldn't let him die"

"Yeah and he almost killed you"

"I don't blame him"

His face softened "Of course you wouldn't" He went towards the bed once again and sat down in front of her. His hands went to cup her face and she closed her eyes at the feel; only days ago this had been the best part of her day and now she couldn't help but think it felt wrong "You're too good for this world, Elena" He whispered before bringing her body to his and locking her into a tight embrace.

She rested her head on his shoulder while thinking back in what she told Damon before she kissed him. She was just like Katherine, not the good person Stefan believed her to be "No, I'm not" She whispered, because at that moment she wished another Salvatore was holding her.

* * *

The rest of the day went in a blur for Elena; she and Stefan talked more about her experience inside the tomb, she spent some time with Jeremy and Jenna and she even went out with Caroline and Bonnie to the grill; while the blonde girl chatted her ear off, oblivious to everything happening around her, Bonnie kept giving her worried glances that she tried to dismiss with a polite smile.

Elena enjoyed her time with her friends; she laughed and ate, breathed in clean air and enjoyed the great luxury that was to be able to do things, and yet in the back of her mind there was always the man with the brightest blue eyes she had ever seen.

She was tormenting herself with thoughts of him, what was he doing, why hadn't he called her. Didn't he want to talk with her? About everything that happened inside with them, about that kiss? Didn't he understand that she didn't blame him at all about what happened? She had been the one who chose to give him her blood knowing the risk; she wanted to save him.

By the time Elena was home, she was already mentally exhausted; she changed into her pajamas, washed her face, brushed her teeth and was about to climb into her bed when something in the window seat caught her attention. With a frown Elena went towards it and nearly gasped when she saw the black envelop resting on top of the cushion.

She didn't know why, but she instantly recognized the handwriting with her name at the top of the paper; it was elegant and classic; somehow she knew it was him who had written the letter that rested in front of her.

With trembling hands the young girl took hold of the paper and ripped open the envelope, her fingers lingering slightly on the writing of her name.

Tears pooled in her eyes and a deep weight settled on her chest as her eyes drank in the words he had written not so long ago, she guessed, words he had decided not to say to her face.

 _Elena,_

 _Yes, that is correct. Me, Damon Salvatore who swore to never show a sign of weakness and ridiculousness as big as this, has done the unthinkable and is now in fact writing you a letter. But you see, the thing is, I wouldn't be able to say this to your face because A) My brother would never let me and B) You would say something idiotic like you forgive me and that would beat the purpose of my letter._

 _I am leaving._

 _Yes, you read that correctly. I am finally doing what you and Stefan have wanted since the moment I stepped into Mystic Falls. I came here to find Katherine and she is not in here. Now, I do not care what the lying bitch is doing but I do care about how you are doing, and the last time I saw you… well you were lying unconscious because I couldn't control myself around you._

 _You, Elena Gilbert, have been the only person who was kind enough to believe there was something more in me than the evil vampire who wants to destroy the world, and I, as usual let you down. So please forgive me, believe that hurting you was the last thing I wanted and that I would forever regret that moment, I would have rather died than do what I did._

 _I also want to say thank you Elena, because well, you're the only person in 150 years who has made me feel something and that, my dear, is a great achievement. I wish only the best for you in the long road ahead of this movie called life, I wish you happiness and love and a human life filled with only beautiful things (so please just dump my brother and get back with that Donovan kid…just kidding! I know you and Stefan will find the way to make it work)_

 _But honestly Elena, I wish you a million afternoons surrounded by tulips and gazing into the sun; I wish you nights filled with twist dance and once in a life time concerts; I wish you Italy and every place in the world you want to visit. And I wish you love, from every single person around you._

 _Now, this might be the sappiest thing I've ever written so I'm just going to stop here. Goodbye Elena Gilbert, may our paths never cross again…because trust me that would be the best for you._

 _Yours,_

 _Damon._

Elena clutched the paper to her chest as she allowed herself to freely cry. In which moment did her feelings for Damon magnified with such intensity? What had changed so much during the time they had spent together that, now reading his words provoked such a strong sense of pain inside her? Why the thought of never seeing him again was too painful to bear?

She loved him. Undoubtedly, she was in love with him and didn't know what that said about her. She didn't know how it was possible to feel so strongly about someone in such a short period of time. It was like a switch had flipped inside her and altered everything.

And now… now she was to never see him again because Elena knew that Damon didn't make vacant promises. He was gone and he was never coming back to her.

With the letter still secured tightly into her hands Elena crawled into her bed and snuggled underneath her comforter, her tears staining her sheets as she allowed them to fall freely from her eyes. He was gone, Damon was truly gone this time and she wanted nothing more than a chance to see him again.

To tell him how he had changed her.

Because Elena knew that even if he wasn't around anymore, things couldn't go back to be the same way as before, because the truth was not only her feelings for Damon had changed inside that tomb, she had changed as well. Now she knew that she could no longer continue doing things to make other people happy, she had to start thinking about herself, as much as it pained her.

Damon Salvatore was truly gone and Elena knew a part of her had gone with him.


	9. I'll be right beside you dear

_Well, this story has reached its end. I am so grateful to all of you for reading and taking a bit of your time to leave a review, I truly didn't expect the response this story had and I can't say anything but thank you. As I said before, this was pitched to me by_ _ **Imly**_ _who had the idea of the main plot and wanted to see how I could bring it to life; I hope you all liked the way I decided to do it._

 _As always I also want to thank Vidhi for being an amazing beta for this story. I'm already posting another story and I have one more coming so stay tuned and help us keep Delena alive._

 _Hope you enjoy!_

 _Thank you!_

* * *

" _ **I'll sing it one last time for you then we really have to go. You've been the only thing that's right in all I've done"**_

 _ **.**_

 _ **.**_

 **Two years later**

 **.**

Elena Gilbert sits down on her designated seat and can't help the jitters travelling through her body when she realizes she's finally achieving one of the things on her bucket list after adding it up two years ago. She can hardly believe two years have gone by and that she is now a high school graduate and soon to be college student.

A lot of things had changed in those two years and Elena can't help but smile as she remembers all the people she left behind back home. After the fateful night when they got her out of the tomb, Bonnie started getting more involved with magic, Lucy remained in Mystic Falls and alongside grams they made Bonnie a very powerful witch. Her best friend also started dating Jeremy, who it turns out had discovered the truth about vampires a long time ago.

Anna and her mother disappeared once they escaped the tomb and Elena never heard of them again, something for what she was very grateful because she didn't want anything to do with that tomb or with anything of what had happened in there.

Well…not everything.

After getting out of the tomb two years ago things were supposed to go back to normal; she was supposed to be the same good girl she had always been, be happy with her friends, her family, her boyfriend and everything that made her life good. But the thing was, Elena could not be that girl again, something had changed inside her in the time she spent there and no amount of do overs was going to fix what was broken inside her, one of those things being her relationship with Stefan.

After that last dream she and Damon shared where she kissed him, Elena knew that things between her and Stefan were never going to be the same. Her feelings for Damon had changed in the time they spent together which meant her feelings for Stefan had transformed as well, and even though the older Salvatore was no longer in the picture she couldn't go back to pretend like nothing had happened, she was not that kind of person.

So she had to let him go. It had hurt a lot, but she knew it had been the right thing to do. And like God sometimes works in very mysterious ways Stefan had found his way towards the one person he might never considered before.

For some cruel twist of fate Caroline had suffered an accident and in trying to help her Stefan had given her his blood but the blonde girl had died anyway only to wake up as a vampire hours later. It had been hard for her, to adjust to this new world that was opening in front of her but luckily Stefan had been there to support her and guide her through the process. They had fallen in love in that time and Elena couldn't be happier that they both found the one thing that was missing in their lives.

Not everything went smoothly in the last two years, but she was happy and that was all that mattered.

With a sigh Elena leaned back on her seat and covered her eyes with a mask she had brought along. A long flight waited for her and she wanted to be well rested for it. Her lips curved in a sad smile when his face came to her mind, if he was with her she guessed he would have made the flight so much lighter; It was in times like this when she thought about him the most, a part of her believed that with time she would be able to forget about him but she hadn't been lucky, she still missed him dearly and wondered how was it possible to miss someone you knew for such a short time.

She had tried to find him; after her mind has settled and everything had come back to normal in her life Elena had moved heaven and earth in hopes of bringing him back home, but he had disappeared; like a ghost, he had vanished as swiftly as he had arrived to her life.

Thinking about him, she went to sleep.

By the time she arrived at her destination, her limbs were sore and she was more than ready to drop herself into a plush bed and go to sleep for the next two days but she still had a couple of more hours until she arrived to her hotel so she freshened up in the airport bathroom and continued her journey.

When her feet finally touched the ground in Vernazza Elena breathed in a sigh of relieve, two years she had dreamed about going to that place; ever since that day when Damon told her about his favorite place in the world she vowed to one day visit it herself.

She spent the first days marveling around the small town; she visited the other towns that formed Cinque Terre but came back to Vernazza at nights. In the mornings she strolled on the streets and ate all kinds of gelatos while at nights she sat in the balcony of her small hotel room and sipped Limoncello while eating dinner, completely alone and content.

Elena had find out that sometimes there was nothing more enjoyable than being on your own, satisfied with who you are and where you were heading to. She still missed Damon and wished that they had gotten more time to know each other and explore the feelings between them but she knew she didn't need him to be happy, or at least she didn't think she did, after relaying her happiness on other people for so long, Elena had finally figured out she only needed to be at peace with herself to be truly happy so she allowed herself to enjoy her freedom and the beauty that was Italy.

Five days had passed since her arrival to Vernazza when her world changed. She had been out and about for the whole day and was going back to her hotel when she decided to take a little detour to the beach so she could see the sunset. Elena had removed the sandals from her feet and had stood with her fingers dipped in the sand while the breeze blew her hair around; a content smile on her lips as she enjoyed one of nature's greatest gifts.

And then she saw him.

He looked just the way she remembered him. Mysterious and graceful, and so handsome… the most handsome man she had ever seen. He was barefoot and had on a pair of jeans a dark blue t-shirt that molded to his chest beautifully. She couldn't breathe; she feared he was going to disappear if she moved too fast.

It was quite the picture, his beautiful figure standing at the edge of the shore while the sun started hiding into the sea; she believed nothing had been more beautiful to her eyes before. A sight to behold, one she knew would be stored in her memory forever.

Elena knew the exact moment he saw her too; his whole body stiffened in shock, his eyes widened and his lips turned at the corners into a smile of amazement.

And then they were in motion, moving towards each other. Her hair blowing in the wind as her feet moved as fast as ever. He caught her midway, his arms going around her and securing her to his body.

 _This is it,_ Elena realized, _my destiny caught with me after all. Finally!_

He released her and his lapis lazuli eyes gazed into her "Hello Elena" Damon's mouth twisted into his telltale smirk and Elena knew she was finally home.

"Are you going to run from me again?" She asked, a quirky smile appearing on her lips as she teased him.

His eyes shone with mischief and a hint of regret as he dropped his forehead into hers "No, it didn't work the first time. You were with me everywhere I went" He pulled a strand of hair out of her face and as his hand grazed the skin of her cheek; Elena wanted to sigh in content.

"I am here now" She whispered.

"I know"

Damon leaned down and captured her lips in a sweet kiss, one full of promises and longing. They had no idea what life had in store for them, they didn't know how they were going to make everything work but as they kissed on the beautiful Italian beach with the sun hiding in the sea they knew everything was going to be okay. Life had brought them together once again and this time there was no running away.

 **THE END**

* * *

 **Yes, I totally stole the ending from the book because I love it so damn much, even though I stopped reading after Midnight I was so glad that Damon and ELena ended up together so, I decided to bring a little bit of that into here. Hope you have enjoyed it!**


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